Which is why I can't understand why they'd be heroes to anybody.
Perhaps because people like myself do not judge them by the standards of todays 'so called' enlightened morals but rather by their military achievements. To condemn the Mongols without first gaining any insight into their culture and beliefs at the time is like reading the end of a book and writing a critique about its content. There are understandable (if we remain impartial and unbiased) reasons for the large scale killings in both China and the Moslem countries. After Khwarazm fell, there was every likelihood that a resurgeance under Jelal ad Din who was a very able commander, could have proved very costly to the new Mongol empire. Their armies, already logistically stretched (and outnumbered) entered into a phase of consolidation and made thoroughly sure that there would be no backlash. Xi Xia paid the ultimate price for treachery and indifferent arrogance. Harsh treatment this may be but in the 13th Century, who with the ability would allow vassals to treat them with contempt? If the Crusaders were able, do you not think they would have eradicated Islam? Because they were nomads, the Mongols and other nomads before them have been labelled, as if they were lesser beings simply because they chose a pastoral existance. They did not build marvellous cities and impressive Cathedrals or Mosques. What good would these be to them and their way of life? Conquered nations enjoyed considerable securities under Mongol administration, the freedom to worship whatever faith being but one of them. People were not despised simply because of their faith as was generally the case in the civilised cities of europe and the middle east.
IMO a lot of the problems of the modern world can arguably be traced back to the destruction wrought by the Mongol hordes.
An argument commonly used to explain why Russia lagged behind during the renaissance period. This may or may not be the case, personally I feel there are plenty of other Russian based considerations for this fact. The irrigation systems of Persia suffered irreparable damage and the area is a shadow of the fertile place it once was. Was this entirely thanks to the destruction caused by the Mongols? A certain Timur, a Turk, arguably wrought greater havoc in this area than the Mongols before him

........Orda